Sleep Dentistry

Are you scared of going to the dentist? Do you have a bad gag reflex? Does local anaesthetic often not work? Do you want as much work done in one session as possible? These and many other reasons make you a candidate for sleep dentistry.

Dr Olstein was one of the first dentists in Victoria to utilise sedation dentistry in his surgery on a regular basis and has been doing so since 2006—he really is a sleep dentistry expert in Melbourne.

Sleep dentistry is the use of medically administered and supervised IV sedation and is often referred to as ‘Conscious Sedation’, ‘Sedation Dentistry‘ or ‘Twilight Sleep’. It is the most advanced form of dental sedation available and uses a combination of sedative and pain relieving drugs to create a deep state of sedation throughout the entire duration of the dental procedure.

When awake you will have NO memory or recollection of the noises, smells, needles or drilling with very little side effects, in fact many people wake up from dental sedation as if from a very deep and satisfying sleep.

All of the safety equipment that you would expect in a major hospital will be provided to ensure your safety throughout your procedure and supervised at all times by our anaesthetist who is trained in anaesthesia and intensive care and maintains a private practice specialising in dental sedation. We feel that this is the safest way to have your sedation administered, as it leaves Dr Olstein to concentrate totally on his dentistry while the anaesthetist monitors your sedation. You wouldn’t rely on a surgeon to do his own anaesthetic while doing his surgery would you? So we feel it’s no different in the dental environment.

One advantage of sedation is that it does not require you to be an inpatient of a hospital, saving you on monetary costs and also allowing the procedure to be done in Dr Olstein’s rooms, offering him access to all his resources and thus making your treatment so much more efficient.

You’ll be ready to go home after a short recovery period (usually about 20-30 minutes) in the company of another responsible adult who is prepared to stay with you for 24 hours.